By 
(CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – July 14, 2024) – On a night in memoriam of 22-year-old fan Justine DesRoches-Pierce, who tragically lost her life to mental illness, the Oyster Bed Speedway community came together to honour her family and friends and prove that the sport is more than just a sport.
Justine’s favourite drivers certainly felt her presence while behind the wheel for the July 13, 2024 event as they participated in a memorial lap to begin the action and several visited victory lane.
Cash Bridges (#69) honoured her well in Chris’s Bobcat Services Mini Stock Super Series action, leading 29 of 30 laps in the caution-free feature en route to his long-awaited first-career feature win. After starting at the tail end of the field in the heat race due to a black flag at the previous event, the second-year driver earned his way to better starting positions in semi and feature action, adding a win in the semi race.
Bridges held on over veteran Randy MacTavish (#76) for many laps to claim the win. Reigning champion Jeff Bridges (#95) started the feature in eighth and surged to third on lap 19. Ricky Bedell (#2), the points leader going into the event, finished fourth while rookie Corbin MacAulay (#17) earned a top-5 finish in his first-career run. Fellow newcomer Austin Corrigan (#10) started the feature on the pole but dropped back to sixth. Blaze Roberts (#6) finished eighth in his first run in 2024.
Rookie Campbell Stewart (#3) claimed a win in heat action but failed to finish the semi race and start the feature due to a broken transmission.
In Reliable Motors Bandolero action, two drivers emerged victorious with outstanding triple wins.
Hudson Linzel-Waddell (#57) pioneered the Beginner class with his second triple-win of the season. In the 15-lap feature, he took the lead on a restart with three laps to go and held on over a hard-charging Payton Gallant (#42) in the closing laps. Gallant, who led every lap until the yellow flag, attempted to make a pass on the inside in turns three and four coming to the checkered flag but was unsuccessful. Gallant emerged victorious in heat one.
Oliver Rayner (#24) rebounded from an early spin to finish on the bottom end of the podium. He and Charlee Rayner (#24), who finished fourth, both experienced resurgence arcs after crashing together in semi action. Ashtyn Gariepy (#11) started on the pole and led one lap but wound up finishing fifth. Juliana O’Connor claimed her first career win in semi one and finished sixth in the feature.
The race was halted by one caution due to Gariepy spinning in turn four with three laps remaining.
In the Outlaw class, defending champion Landon Pierce (#19) claimed his first wins of the season, and they came in no better fashion than a triple win. The Nova Scotia phenom started eighth in the 15-lap feature and charged his way to the front, which was delayed but not affected by two cautions. Pierce took the lead with five laps remaining and held on over polesitter Cole Doyle (#12) on the final restart for the win.
Doyle faced adversity before the event after a scary crash during practice that led to his car ending up in the trees off the turn two banking. Simon Doyle (#91) finished third while Andrew O’Connor (#63) and Wyatt Peters (#33) claimed top-5 finishes. Hunter MacKinnon (#07) impressed all day with multiple laps led and finished seventh in the feature.
The Alvin’s Auto Sales and Repair Bomber division finally had an event where the cars could run on their own, and what a show they put on. Veteran Zach Chappell (#44) won the 15-lap feature in the most bizarre way imaginable, as he pounded the backstretch wall on lap four but still managed to catch up to Ryan Cormier (#96) and steal the lead with three laps remaining. That wasn’t the end of it as Chappell sealed the deal with a rear-end scrap against the wall coming into victory lane.
Spencer Paton (#35) and Caycie DesRoches (#59) finished third and fourth while Jamie Ronaghan (#59), who won in heat action, left the feature on lap seven. Chappell also won the semi race.
Adding to the Bridges family’s success on Saturday night was Shane Bridges (#4), who broke through with his best performance in a long time, scoring a triple win in Moore Well Drilling Outlaw competition, his first in several years. He led every lap in the 25-lap feature and held on over Corey Bridges (#04) for the win. Corey Bridges had an incredible comeback in the feature after dealing with power issues all day, starting fifth and just falling short of a giant surge toward Shane Bridges in the closing laps.
Veteran Harley Cornish (#13) finished on the podium in every race on Saturday, putting the icing on the cake with a third-place run in the feature. 2022 champion Layton Delaney (#7) barely held on for fourth over multi-time champion Kendall Palmer (#45), who made his way back up the field after an early incident. Points leader Brandon Forsyth (#3) settled for seventh after starting toward the back.
The race was halted by one caution after an incident involving Palmer and Jamie Cummings (#81); both cars got going but the turn four traffic cone got tipped onto the racing surface. Delaney won in heat and semi action.
A rough season for Brandon Albert (#37) may have begun its turnaround on Saturday as he picked up a triple win in Gauthier’s Auto Repair Street Stock action. Albert led all but one lap in the 25-lap caution-free feature as he went on to score his first feature win of the season, which took five attempts to eventually get.
Points leader Randy Millar (#77) and polesitter Andrew Thompson (#4) finished on the podium. Randy Snow (#26) finished fourth while Tyler Doucette (#24) came home fifth and led a few laps in the heat race.
Chris’s Bobcat Services Mini Stock Super Series 30-Lap Feature Results
1. Cash Bridges #69
2. Randy MacTavish #76
3. Jeff Bridges #95
4. Ricky Bedell #2
5. Corbin MacAulay #17
6. Austin Corrigan #10
7. Adam Holland #01
8. Blaze Roberts #6
DNS – Campbell Stewart #3
Heat Race Winner – Campbell Stewart #3
Semi Race Winner – Cash Bridges #69
Feature Polesitter – Austin Corrigan #10
Reliable Motors Beginner Bandolero 15-Lap Feature Results
1. Hudson Linzel-Waddell #57
2. Payton Gallant #42
3. Oliver Rayner #23
4. Charlee Rayner #24
5. Ashtyn Gariepy #11
6. Juliana O’Connor #10
7. Regan MacBeth #34
8. Landon MacBeth #32
Heat Race Winners – Payton Gallant #42, Hudson Linzel-Waddell #57
Semi Race Winners – Juliana O’Connor #10, Hudson Linzel-Waddell #57
Feature Polesitter – Ashtyn Gariepy #11
Reliable Motors Outlaw Bandolero 15-Lap Feature Results
1. Landon Pierce #19
2. Cole Doyle #12
3. Simon Doyle #91
4. Andrew O’Connor #63
5. Wyatt Peters #33
6. Mason Gillis #9
7. Hunter MacKinnon #07
8. Rhyan Burke #01
Heat & Semi Race Winner – Landon Pierce #19
Feature Polesitter – Hunter MacKinnon #07
Alvin’s Auto Sales and Repair Bomber 15-Lap Feature Results
1. Zach Chappell #44
2. Ryan Cormier #96
3. Spencer Paton #35
4. Caycie DesRoches #16
5. Jamie Ronaghan #59
Heat Race Winner – Jamie Ronaghan #59
Semi Race Winner – Zach Chappell #44
Feature Polesitter – Spencer Paton #35
Moore Well Drilling Outlaw 20-Lap Feature Results
1. Shane Bridges #4
2. Corey Bridges #04
3. Harley Cornish #12
4. Layton Delaney #7
5. Kendall Palmer #45
6. Jordan LeClair #47
7. Brandon Forsyth #3
8. Bradley Richard #49
9. Brady Albert #38
10. Dre Folland #33
11. Jamie Cummings #81
Heat Race Winners – Layton Delaney #7, Shane Bridges #4
Semi Race Winners – Shane Bridges #4, Layton Delaney #7
Feature Polesitter – Dre Folland #33
Gauthier’s Auto Repair Street Stock 25-Lap Feature Results
1. Brandon Albert #37
2. Randy Millar #77
3. Andrew Thompson #4
4. Randy Snow #26
5. Tyler Doucette #24
6. Brian Arsenault #03
7. Sarah Jay #30
DNS – Nick Chiasson #27
Heat & Semi Race Winner – Brandon Albert #37
Feature Polesitter – Andrew Thompson #4
Full event results can be found here and on the website’s points page. Updated points standings to follow in the coming days.
Oyster Bed Speedway’s 2024 stock car racing season returns to action on Saturday, July 27 at 6 pm. The East Coast International Pro Stock Tour visits the high-banked oval at Oyster Bed Bridge for the annual BJ’s Truck Centre 150, the “monkey-in-the-middle” between the prestigious IWK 250 and Summer Clash 250 races.
Supporting them will be the Mini Stocks, Outlaw Super Series, and Street Stocks. The rain date is Sunday, July 28 at 2 pm.
Stay up-to-date on our website and social media pages for more breaking news and updates as they happen across the 2024 season and beyond.
Oyster Bed Speedway can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at @oysterbedspeedway, and @obspeedwaypei on YouTube and X.
Merchandise is available at www.obsmerch.ca. Shop Samantha Busch merch is available.
About Oyster Bed Speedway
Oyster Bed Speedway is Prince Edward Island’s premier auto racing facility and features fun and excitement with weekly stock car racing special events throughout the season. The 1/3 mile paved oval is located in Oyster Bed Bridge at the intersection of routes 6 and 7, halfway between Cavendish and Charlottetown on beautiful Prince Edward Island.
Website: www.oysterbedspeedwaypei.ca
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